Are high school relationships worth it?

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Hope Peterson

Danielle Thistle (’16) and her boyfriend Marcus Oelson (’16) pose together after the Powderpuff Football Game at BC Sept. 27.

Although there are high school students who avoid all hints of a relationship, there are two main types of approaches when it comes to those who partake in high school relationships. There are those who date to just have fun, and there are those that date with a purpose.

“Two outcomes are going to happen in any relationship: A. You’re going to break up or B. You’re going to get married,” said Mr. Nellis, PE teacher who married his high school sweetheart.

Mr. Nellis first met his wife while he was in elementary school, but didn’t start dating her until his senior year of high school. After a long-distance relationship through college, he proposed shortly after graduating.

“An important thing to keep in mind is the person you’re with will not change all that much,” Mr. Nellis said. “So, can you live with who that person is and how they’re treating you?”

From his experience, he believes that high school relationships are a good thing if both people have the same perspective on the relationship and what they want it to be.

“Where people get into trouble is when one person has different expectations and that leads to fighting and bickering,” Mr. Nellis said.

Senior Danielle Thistle (’16) has been in a high school relationship for over two years. When Thistle first went into the relationship, she never imagined it to last so long.

“We went into it mainly just to have fun, but I found out that as time went on, our relationship just got better,” Thistle said. “I look back and think it’s funny. I’m literally 100 times more comfortable around him now and so much closer.”

She believes her relationship became more purposeful and has lasted so long because they both share similar traits. The two are laid back and very open with each other.

“Don’t freak out over the little things,” Thistle said. “And don’t break up over one stupid fight because everyone fights sometimes.”

However, junior Aisha Greene (’17) has been through a few relationships herself, but she hasn’t found the right guy yet. Growing up, she never imagined dating in high school, but anytime she believed something could’ve been there, she took a chance.

“I have always dated people for at least 7 months,” Greene said.

Greene takes dating seriously, and she has had a purpose to find her “Mr. Right”. Through the guys she has dated, she has found out what she does and doesn’t like in a guy.

“I would tell people to take their time in a relationship because, in reality, at this age we have all the time in the world to get to know someone,” Greene said.

However, Football Coach Jed Kennedy believes that high school relationships should be avoided and are a bad idea because they consume too much time. He thinks students will miss other experiences because they’re too focused on their relationship, whether it is just for fun or for a greater purpose.

“The reality is that this person is probably not going to be their ‘Future Spouse’,” Kennedy said.

It seems as though the motivation for entering a relationship in the beginning is not necessarily how it plays out. If one is going into it just for fun, watch out because they may end up with a greater purpose. Conversely, if someone goes into it to find something long-term, they may just end up having fun and then breaking up.

“Overall, I would tell people to take chances with high school relationships because you never know what could come out of it,” Thistle said.